Even Through the Fire
by Eris Snow
Summary: 12.29.08 Update! When fire inspectors find hidden women's apparel in the health clinic, the school suspects that Umeda is harboring a female student! Will Mizuki's identity remain intact, or will the school find out the truth?
1. Chapter One

**Even Through the Fire**

A Hana-Kimi Fic

By:

Eris Snow

_Through the fire, to the limit, to the wall  
For a chance to be with you, I'd gladly risk it all._

Kanye West, "Through the Wire"

**Chapter One**

* * *

__

_Mizuki-chan,_

_A new clothing store opened up nearby, so I checked it out and saw some things that reminded me of you! You probably won't get a chance to wear them much, but maybe you can slip them on once in a while for your oniichan's sake, ne? Ganbatte!_

_Shizuki_

Mizuki ventured a peek into the box, only to be attacked by an eyeful of pink frills and white lace. Her face burned and she hastily put the lid back on the box.

"Honestly, oniichan!" she laughed despite herself. When her older brother had finally given his blessings and allowed her to remain at Osaka Gakuen, she knew it had taken a lot out of him.

But did he _really_ have to send her all these dresses…?

"What am I going to do with them?" she wondered aloud. She eyed the box for a minute before getting up to lock the door. Safely in the confines of a Sano-less room, she took the lid off the box.

"Oniichan stuffed a lot into this little thing," she said in surprise. The first item she pulled out was a summery halter-top dress. Further inspection into the gift box revealed a floral cami, denim mini skirt, pink strapless dress with a white lace fringe—even a pair of faded jean capris.

"Wah!" she cried, hugging her clothes tight. "It's been so long since I got to wear these kinds of clothes!"

The doorknob rattled, jarring her out of her thoughts. After shoving her clothes haphazardly into the box, she thrust the present under her bed. "C-coming!" she yelled.

"What were you doing?" asked Sano after she unlocked the door.

"N-nothing!" she blushed. "I was just…"

Sano raised an eyebrow.

"Never mind! Eh heh…" Mizuki laughed nervously.

"Whatever," he replied. Sano walked into the room and thrust out his arm.

"WAH!" Mizuki yelped as something cold smacked her in the forehead. She reached up and felt her fingers grasp a slender can of peach juice.

"Doumo," she accepted the gift happily. "What's it for?"

"You're so annoying," he muttered. "Just drink it!"

Mizuki meeped and opened the can. "Oishii," she cheered. "So, how was practice? You must be exhausted from having both morning and afternoon sessions."

Sano flopped onto his bed. "It was alright. I think something happened in dorm one, though. Some of the students got called out during morning practice."

Mizuki took another gulp of her drink. "Oh! I thought I heard sirens earlier. Could that have had something to do with it?"

Sano shrugged. "Maybe. It doesn't concern us, though."

"How can you say that?" Mizuki sat down on her bed. "What if the pipes in that dorm went bad again? Remember when Kadoma had to room with us that time?"

"How could I forget?" Sano retorted. "He almost walked in on you showering," he muttered under his breath.

"What? I didn't hear what you said."

"Nothing," he answered. He watched Mizuki crinkle her forehead in confusion. A small smile tugged at his lips. Leaning over, he reached across and pinched her nose.

"Ow." She swatted at his hand. "Stop that."

At that moment, the door flew open and startled the two roommates.

"N-Nakatsu! You scared me," Mizuki exclaimed, jumping to her feet.

"Sorry!" he apologized. "Hey," he paused, giving the two a suspicious look. "What were you guys doing just now?"

"None of your business," Sano replied. "What's all the fuss about?"

"What? Oh!" Nakatsu and Kayashima were ushered into the room by Mizuki. They both settled on her bed. "Did you hear? There was a fire on campus earlier!"

"Really?" Mizuki asked, surprised. She turned to Sano. "So maybe that's why I heard those sirens before!"

He nodded. "Yeah. Maybe the kids who got pulled out of practice were involved. Was the fire in dorm one?"

Kayashima nodded. "I think so. I hear the health room almost got burned down, too."

"Poor Umeda-sensei!" Mizuki cried. "Is he alright?"

"If you mean narrowly escaping a fiery death, then yes," came an unexpected voice from the doorway.

"Sensei!" Mizuki exclaimed. "We just heard what happened!"

Umeda glared at her. Mizuki shifted uneasily. Was it just her, or did he seem slightly more disgruntled than usual? "Um…what's the matter?"

"A murderous aura," Kayashima commented.

"Ashiya. Come with me," Umeda ordered.

Nakatsu jostled his way past Sano and Kayashima. "What do you mean by ordering him around like that? What do you want with Mizuki?" he demanded.

"It's none of your concern," Umeda replied sharply. He noticed Sano in the corner also looking displeased.

Mizuki put her hands on Nakatsu's shoulders placatingly before he could pitch a fit. "It's okay, it's okay. Why don't you guys go ahead and grab some dinner? I'll join you later," she suggested.

"A pink aura," remarked Kayashima as he looked at Nakatsu's blushing face.

"Baka," muttered Sano, glaring at his roommate and Nakatsu.

"Let's go, sensei!" Mizuki exclaimed with forced enthusiasm. "I'll be back soon!" she called out to her friends as she followed sensei out the door.

Sano watched Mizuki's retreating figure, not missing the apprehension etched on her face.

"Dinner sounds good," Kayashima suggested.

"How can you eat at a time like this?!" Nakatsu demanded. "That lech of a doctor! Poor Mizuki! Anything could be happening to him right now! What if—what if—sensei has his way with Mizuki and—"

Sano smacked the back of his head. "We're leaving, baka." Sano and Kayashima were already halfway out the door.

Nakatsu sputtered. "Wait, damn it!"

* * *

"So what is it, sensei?" asked Mizuki nervously. The two had stopped in an adjacent hallway after Umeda had made sure that no listening ears were nearby.

"You already know about the fire that occurred earlier this morning," Umeda stated.

"Uh-huh," Mizuki nodded.

"And you know that the fire spread to my office as well?"

"I do," she answered uneasily. "So what's wrong?"

"Firefighters and inspectors are going to be investigating the campus for the cause of the fire and for damage assessment. They're going to be looking in the health room as well.

"Yesterday afternoon, I got a package from Io that she wanted me to give to you. She sewed a new vest and sent over some more sanitary napkins, since she figured you'd have run out by now."

"Oh, that's so nice of her! Send her my thanks," Mizuki said.

Umeda glared. "Idiot! If the inspectors find those girly items in my room, what do you think will happen? And what about the dresses that your brother mailed you last month? Do you think they're going to ignore the presence of such feminine products in my office?"

Mizuki gasped, eyes wide. "Oh no!"

Umeda rolled his eyes. "I can see that the thought had escaped you completely."

Mizuki nodded.

"This is bad! If they discover that you've been helping me, my cover's blown! What do we do?" she asked frantically, clutching his hand.

"We?" he echoed. He pried his hand away from her. "There is no _we_," he emphasized firmly. "If I get caught, I'm not going to be responsible for you," he stated flatly.

"So cold!" Mizuki thought to herself. "But sensei! If I do get caught, what should I do? I can't leave now! I want…I want to stay by Sano's side for just a bit longer!"

A pause. "I guess the best we can hope for is that the packages burned in the fire," Umeda said at last.

"You can't go back and make sure?" Mizuki pleaded.

"The area's been blocked off. It's unsafe for civilians to be walking through there," Umeda answered. "So in short—"

"I'm dead!" Mizuki wailed.

"Not so loud, idiot!" Umeda snapped. "I don't want to be seen with you here. You must understand. From this point forth, I only know you, Ashiya Mizuki, merely as a student in occasional need of treatment. That is _all_," he stressed.

Mizuki nodded dumbly. "I…I guess that's only fair," she said reluctantly. "You've already risked a lot for me…"

Umeda sighed. "Don't get all feminine on me," he complained. He plopped his hand on her head. "Just hope for the best. That's all you can do now."

Mizuki bowed. "Thank you, sensei. I'll try my best to stay positive."

"Good," Umeda said. "But just in case…"

"Yes?"

Umeda looked at her pointedly. "You might want to start packing your things."

* * *

**A/N: **Wah! My first Hana-Kimi fic—and also my first non-yaoi fic in a LONG while. I wrote an outline for this fic at work when business was extremely slow. I had no idea that I'd get to use one of my favorite artist's songs as inspiration for the title, though. I already finished outlining, so it's just a matter of sitting down and fleshing out the story. Enjoy!


	2. Chapter Two

**Even Through the Fire**

A Hana-Kimi Fic

By:

Eris Snow

**Chapter Two**

* * *

**A/N: **I've gotten a few critiques about my use of pronouns--specifically, the way I use "he/she" and "his/her." I'll try to clear up the confusion. When the narrator (me) refers to Mizuki, it's in the form of aGIRL (she, her, etc). When Mizuki's schoolmates refer to her, she'll be addressed as a GUY. The only exceptions are Dr. Umeda and Sano. In their thoughts, they will refer to Mizuki as a GIRL, but in speech, they will refer to her as a GUY. Hm...I guess that's a little more confusing than I thought it would be. Anyways, I'll try to keep the pronoun genders consistent. I'll inevitably slip up, though,so try to be a little understanding, ne?

Also, if you see funny characters/symbols as you read, try changing the encoding of your browser to Unicode (go to **view - encoding - unicode**). Sorry!

* * *

"Oi! Over here!" shouted Nakatsu after spotting Mizuki enter the cafeteria. "I saved you a spot!"

"Doumo," Mizuki smiled as she sat down. She noticed that everyone was already halfway done with their dinners.

"Baka. You forgot to grab dinner," Sano chided, noticing that his roommate had come to the table empty-handed.

Mizuki blushed. "A-actually, I wasn't that hungry..."

Suddenly, she found herself mere inches away from wide, honey-brown eyes. "Not hungry?" Nakatsu asked in disbelief. "Mizuki, what's wrong?" Warm hands felt her forehead and face gingerly. "Are you sick? Has Kujou senpai been overexerting you with karate?" Lines of worry etched themselves on Nakatsu's forehead.

"Ow!" he yelped when he was smacked on the head by an annoyed Sano. He glared tearfully, while Sano nonchalantly ate his dinner. "You're suffocating him. He's fine."

Kayashima nodded. He looked at Mizuki with his head tilted to one side. "You don't seem sick...a bit apprehensive, maybe. What's on your mind?"

Mizuki shook her head and stammered, "N-nothing! I'm just...not hungry." She looked away, trying to hide from Kayashima's probing gaze.

Sano snorted. "I don't need to read auras to know that's a lie." Mizuki's cheeks burned.

Kayashima smiled. "You're not going to tell us?"

Mizuki stood up abruptly. "I have to go! Um...I wasn't feeling very hungry, so I don't even know why I came here in the first place. Enjoy your dinner!" With a wave, she hastily retreated from the table.

"Weird," Noe commented.

"Definitely," agreed Sekime.

Sano shrugged. "He'll be fine." He continued to eat his food unworriedly.

Nakatsu glared at him suspiciously. "How would you know, Izumi? What makes you so sure, huh? Just because you're his roommate doesn't mean you should assume everything you think about Mizuki is right!" He slammed his fists onto the table for emphasis.

Sano ignored him. "Whatever."

Nakatsu ground his teeth in frustration. "Don't 'whatever' me, damn you! What if Mizuki's...what if Mizuki's..."

"A pink aura," Kayashima remarked, pointing a french fry at Nakatsu. He shoved said fry into his mouth. "You know, Nakatsu, maybe you should just tell Mizuki that you–"

"Shut up!" Nakatsu shouted, embarrassed. Everyone rolled their eyes.

"It's not like it's a big secret, ya know," Sekime said. Noe nodded.

"You–you guys don't know anything!" Nakatsu stated fiercely.

"He's just worried we'll think he's gay," Noe laughed.

"WHAT!"

"No, he had that one girlfriend, remember?" Sekime pointed out, completely disregarding the heated blonde seated next to him.

"Oh, true that," Noe agreed, also ignoring the fuming Nakatsu. "Well, then, I guess that makes him bi?"

Turning to the red-faced blonde, Sekime declared, "It's okay. We'd still accept you if you swung that way." Noe nodded supportively.

"You...you guys...ARGH!" groaned Nakatsu in frustration. He stood up abruptly, knocking his chair to the ground. "You guys don't understand me at all! I'm going to find Mizuki!"

Sano watched Nakatsu stalk out of the cafeteria out of the corner of his eye. "Idiot," he muttered. Mizuki had gone out in the opposite direction.

Grabbing his tray, he stood up as well. "I'm done. I'm going to go," he said.

"See ya," Noe said, returning to his dinner.

"Yeah," Sekime said between bites. "See you tomorrow."

Throwing his trash out, Sano left the cafeteria and headed in the direction where Mizuki had went.

* * *

"And so, that's what happened," Mizuki explained as she petted Yuujirou on the head. Yuujirou sighed contentedly with each stroke.

"There you are," Sano said as he approached her. Startled, Mizuki turned and found Sano squatting down next to her. "

"Oh, Sano. You scared me." In truth, she was glad for her roommate's company. The sky had already turned dark and being the girl that she was, she felt uncomfortable being outside by herself.

"I thought you'd be here. It's been a while since we've visited Yuujirou, isn't it?" he asked. He petted the dog fondly. "So, has he been a good counselor to you?"

"Huh?" Confusion showed plainly on Mizuki's face.

"You always come to him when something's on your mind. You tell him things that you can't tell me," Sano explained. He looked at Mizuki pointedly. "Don't deny it."

Mizuki laughed nervously. She pulled her hood over her head more tightly, a nervous gesture that belied her fabricated nonchalance. "I guess that's true...but there's nothing wrong this time!"

Sano pinched Mizuki's cheek. "Ow ow ow..."

"Stop it. If you don't want to say anything, that's up to you. You don't need to lie about it." Even in the dark, Mizuki realized how penetrating Sano's eyes were.

When Sano finally let go, Mizuki rubbed her cheek to ease the pain. "Sorry," she murmured.

"Whatever." Sano gave Yuujirou's head a final pat and stood up. "I have practice in the morning," he explained. "You should probably head back. It's not safe for you to stay out here by yourself at night." Mizuki blushed.

_'Why is he being so nice?' _Masking her embarrassment, she declared indignantly, "I can take care of myself. I'm a man, aren't I?" She stood up, her figure only coming up to Sano's chest.

Sano gave her a long look before pinching her cheek again. "You could've fooled me," he muttered.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Mizuki demanded.

"Let's just go," Sano said, propelling her foward with a hand against her back.

* * *

When Sano returned from morning practice, he found Mizuki still sprawled in her bed. The corners of his mouth twitched as he suppressed a smile. He padded over to her and gently shook her arm. "Hey. You're gonna be late,"he said softly.

Mizuki stirred, opening drowsy lids. When bleary eyes focused on the face looming next to her, she yelped. Sano, startled, jumped back.

"Oh! You startled me," she laughed nervously. "What is it?"

"You're gonna be late if you don't get up soon. We have an assembly first thing in the morning, so you should hurry." Sano sat on his bed and wrapped his damp towel around the bedpost.

"Did you already shower?" Mizuki asked, sitting upright on her bed.

"Yeah, before I changed in the locker room. So get going."

"Oh, okay." Mizuki stretched before getting up to make her bed. "Hey, Sano?"

"Hm?" Sano sat on his bed, watching Mizuki's backside.

"What's the assembly about?" she asked. "Do you know?"

"Not really," he admitted. "It might have something to do with the fire," he guessed.

Mizuki froze. _'Shoot...I forgot about that!'_

Sano frowned. "What's the matter?"

Mizuki whirled around, laughing nervously. "Nothing!"

Dark eyes narrowed. "Remember what I said yesterday about lying?"

Mizuki turned red. "O-oh...heh heh, you're right."

"Hurry up and get ready. If you're late, I'm not going to be around to help you with your tie," Sano said.

"Oh! Right. Thanks," Mizuki blushed. Even after months of being at Osaka Gakuen, she still hadn't gotten the hang of fixing her tie. Yes, she had the basics, but she could never make it look as neat and crisp as Sano's.

"It'll just be a second!" she promised as she disappeared into their joint bathroom.

Sano shook his head and muttered, "Yeah, right. I know you better than that."

"Baka, we're late," Sano chastised his roommate in a whisper as the two entered the auditorium.

"Sorry," Mizuki apologized meekly, following Sano as he cut a path through the crowd. "I didn't think it'd take that long."

"Shh!" hissed a nearby student.

"Sorry!" she whispered back. _'Right, I should concentrate on what the dean's saying...'_

The auditorium was packed with students dutifully listening to the school's esteemed dean. On the stage stood each of Osaka Gakuen's department heads, but one figure was conspicuously missing.

_'I wonder where Umeda sensei is...?'_

"...so in short, each room will be assigned a student from dorm one. In the meantime, I suggest that you keep your eyes open. A girl reckless enough to masquerade as a male student...who knows what other acts she'll commit? The sooner we find her, the better. Please take caution. That is all."

With those final words, the dean stepped away from the podium. This, apparently, signaled the cue for all hell to break loose as the previously reserved student body transformed into a gossiping, vociferous mass.

"Guess we missed out," Mizuki said, turning to Sano. "Sorry."

"Hey!" Nakatsu fought his way through the throng of students. "Where were you guys?"

Kayashima trailed closely behind.

"I saw you guys come in a few minutes ago. You missed the dean's announcement, "Kayashima informed them.

"What's happening?" Sano asked.

Nakatsu and Kayashima exchanged a look. "Well, it turns out that Umeda sensei's been hiding a girl student."

Sano and Mizuki froze.

"Shocked, huh?" asked Nakatsu. "Yeah, that's how I felt, too. That's crazy! A girl? Dressed as a guy?"

"Crazier still, no one's noticed," Kayashima added. He looked at Mizuki. "Don't look so worried. We'll find her."

Mizuki forced a laugh. "Of course." _'If he only knew the real reason I look so nervous...'_

Sano watched Mizuki out of the corner of his eye.

"C'mon, let's go get breakfast! All this craziness made me hungry!" Nakatsu declared. He turned a suspicious eye on Mizuki. "Are you feeling hungry today? You look worse than yesterday," he said. "Um..." Mizuki found herself at a loss for words.

"She was still sleeping when I got back from practice. She's probably just still sleepy," Sano interrupted quickly.

Mizuki sighed in relief. "Thank you, Sano!"

"Oh yeah?" Nakatsu didn't look completely convinced. "Well, then, let's go!"

"You know, no one would ever guess that you were a girl," Kayashima remarked to his roommate. "Your appetite's way too big."

"I'm not the only one!" Nakatsu retorted. "Mizuki may be small, but he could eat a whole elephant!"

Sano smirked. _'If only you knew...'_

"See?" Nakatsu pointed at Sano. "He's laughing 'cuz he knows it's the truth. Mizuki's male identity is safe."

Mizuki sagged visibly with relief. "Yeah...no girl could eat as much as us," she agreed.

The quartet walked to the cafeteria, only to find that there was a long line of students waiting at the door. The entrance was blocked off by a group of upperclassmen, much to the dismay of the hungry students.

"Hey, what's going on?" Mizuki asked.

"Oh, we forgot to mention it earlier," Kayashima said. "Since there's a girl supposedly lurking around the premises, there's a new Inquisitorial Squad investigating students on campus."

"What! Can they do that?" Mizuki asked, worried.

"Supposedly, yeah. Forget privacy! How else would they find this girl?"

"Um..." Mizuki thought hard. "Is it so bad, though? Having a girl on campus? Maybe it'll make things more exciting around here, heh heh..." she commented nervously.

"Our thoughts exactly!" declared Noe and Sekime from behind them. The four turned around to greet their friends.

"What's with that face?" Nakatsu asked suspiciously. "You guys are definitely up to something."

"Up to something?" Noe echoed. "We just agree with Ashiya here, that's all!

"We think that the Inquisitorial Squad should be stopped! What's so bad about having a girl on campus? She's livening things up for us poor, lonely boys!" Sekime exclaimed enthusiastically.

"You agree with us, right, Ashiya?" Noe asked, nudging her with his elbow.

"Uh...sure, I guess," Mizuki responded.

"And you, Sano? What do you think?" Sekime asked him.

He shrugged. "It's not so bad."

Mizuki's eyes widened. "R-really?" she asked him.

Sano looked at her. "It's not a big deal. It's been going on all along, right? Nothing's changed."

"Th-that's very true!" Mizuki beamed. Suddenly, an inexplicable happiness surged within her. _'Sano thinks it's not a big deal! He thinks I should be able to stay on campus!'_ she cheered silently.

"A lot of people agree with us, actually," Sekime added. "Maybe we should protest. You know, start a rally or something."

"Yeah! And go on strike! No classes!" Noe exclaimed.

"Not so fast!" a deep voice bellowed at them. The group came face-to-face with the captain of the Inquisitorial Squad, Kujou Itsuki.

"Senpai!" greeted Mizuki nervously.

"You shouldn't be thinking that way," Kujou addressed Noe and Sekime. "You should want to find this imposter," he said flatly.

"S-senpai..." the two conspirators stammered. They cowered under the deadly gaze of Osaka Gakuen's Karate Captain.

"You need to pass through us before you can go to the cafeteria," Kujou announced. He fixed his eyes on Mizuki.

Mizuki edged away nervously.

"You." He pointed a finger at his weak-kneed kouhai.

"Me?" she meeped.

Sano pulled Mizuki behind him and glared at Kujou challengingly. The captain, undeterred, pushed Sano aside.

"Yes. You," Kujou restated firmly.

* * *

**A/N:** Wow, this story's going in a different direction than I originally planned. Therefore, it might take a while longer between chapter updates. I know that the Hana-Kimi fandom is suffering from a severe shortage of fics, but I honestly thought there would be more readers. Anyway, I hope more people review so that I can get some feedback. Thanks! 


	3. Chapter Three

**Even Through the Fire**

A Hana-Kimi Fic

By: Eris Snow

_Through the fire, through the limit, to the wall  
For a chance to be with you, I'd gladly risk it all._

Kanye West, "Through the Wire"

**Chapter Three**

* * *

**A/N: **If you see funny characters/symbols as you read, try changing the encoding of your browser to Unicode (go to **view** - **encoding **- **unicode**). Sorry!

* * *

Mizuki felt her cheeks flush as she faced the penetrating eyes of Kujou senpai, the captain of the newly created Inquisitorial Squad. Alarm bells rang in her head. _'Think, Mizuki, think!'_

Before she could utter any excuses, Sano grabbed her arm firmly and pulled her behind him. Mizuki stood on her toes and peered at the two individuals who were glaring at each other relentlessly. She faltered. The only time she had seen Sano's eyes look so defiant was when he faced his brother and father at the high jump tournament earlier in the year. Her heart fluttered at the thought of Sano defending her so vehemently, yet that didn't change the seriousness of her dilemma. What was going to happen if she was found out...?

"Move it, Sano. Wait your turn in line," Kujou said.

Sano didn't even flinch. "What do you want with Mizuki?" he demanded.

Kujou smirked. Cool blue eyes danced mockingly. "You're being rather protective of Mizuki. Kind of like a knight in shining armor protecting…" His eyes shifted to Mizuki. "…A damsel in distress?"

Mizuki felt as if her senpai's eyes were piercing through her uniform and staring at her innermost being. _'Could he possibly know…?' _Mizuki gulped. _'Does Kujou senpai know that I'm a girl?'_

"S-Sano…" Mizuki stepped in front of her roommate meekly. "It's okay. Right, senpai?" She laughed shakily. "Are you going to inspect us to see if we're the…um…girl student?" Her cheeks turned pink.

Sano was about to say something when he felt two pairs of arms restraining him. Turning around, he saw Nakatsu and Kayashima holding him back. "It'll be okay. I think," said Kayashima reassuringly. "Just watch."

Who was Sano to argue with Kayashima of the mysterious sixth sense? As tense as he was, he watched the exchange between Mizuki and Kujou silently.

Kujou patted Mizuki on the back, nearly making her fall over; she was that nervous. "S-sempai?" she asked questioningly.

Kujou smiled. "Why do you look so scared? What did I tell you about having a stronger mind and heart by training your body? Has karate practice done nothing for you so far?" When Mizuki still stared at him blankly, he explained, "You don't need to look so worried. We've shared the same locker room after karate practice. If you weren't a guy, someone would have noticed already."

If it were biologically possible, Mizuki would have melted to the floor in a puddle of ooze as the adrenaline drained out of her body. She sighed in relief. "Of—of course! Heh heh," she beamed. '_Saved!'_ she cheered in her head.

Sano shook his head in disbelief. _'This girl…I don't believe it. That was too close.'_ He watched as Mizuki hopped over to the cafeteria. His view was soon blocked by a broad chest wearing the familiar Osaka Gakuen spring uniform. He was face-to-face with Kujou once more. With a tilt of his head, Sano silently dared his senpai to even suggest that he was anything but male. Kujou, as if reading his thoughts, smirked and said, "Wait for your friends with Mizuki in the cafeteria." Sano walked past the captain wordlessly.

Mizuki was waiting inside. "That was quick," she commented.

She yelped when Sano ruffled her hair fiercely. "Ow ow ow…" she whined. Teary-eyed, she pouted at her roommate. "What was that for?"

Sano refused to look at her. "Baka," was all he said. _'Idiot. It's a good thing senpai thought you used the same locker room as the rest of the guys.' _He grabbed two trays and handed one of them to Mizuki. "Let's go ahead and grab some food. It'll be a while before the rest of the guys come."

"Okay," she agreed amicably. _'Today is definitely my lucky day!'_

* * *

When Mizuki and Sano arrived at their room, a pile of bags were located in front of their door. Next to the bags was a laundry basket filled with clothes shoved haphazardly, some freshly pressed and others dirty with use. And finally, slumped against the wall was the sleeping frame of Kadoma Shoutaro.

Mizuki knelt next to the slumbering figure and shook him gently. "Kadoma," she called quietly.

Kadoma jerked awake with a yell, startling Mizuki so that she toppled over the laundry basket and fell on the ground. The basket tipped over and dumped its contents on to Mizuki's head and lap.

"Senpai! I'm so sorry!" Kadoma cried as he extricated the striped boxers that were draped over his senpai's head. Mizuki laughed nervously. _'Oh my god. Boxers! Men's boxers! On my head!_' Her face turned bright red. Meanwhile, Kadoma was apologizing profusely, his face just as red as his senpai's. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left my clothes here, I really shouldn't have fallen asleep, Mizuki senpai are you okay—no, I'll get that!—I shouldn't have come while you were eating…"

Sano clamped his hand over Kadoma's mouth to keep him from rambling. "It's okay," he said. When he felt sure that Kadoma wouldn't start apologizing again, he let go. Kadoma hung his head in shame.

Mizuki stood up and patted him on the head, smiling. _'Nothing's changed. Kadoma's still super polite and as eager to please as ever.'_ She held out her hand and helped Kadoma up. "Are you going to room with us again?" she asked.

"Uh-huh." Kadoma put one hand on the back of his head, smiling meekly. "The school told us to move back into the same room as last time when our dorm had to be repaired. It looks like I'm going to be burdening the two of you again."

"Not at all! I'm glad that it's you and not anyone else," Mizuki replied. "Right, Sano?" she turned to her roommate.

"Yeah," he smiled. "Welcome back, Kadoma."

The three of them hauled Kadoma's bags into the room in a few short minutes. The small room seemed cozier with the addition of another person and an extra set of bags. Yet something seemed missing, Sano noted with a slight frown. Why did the room seem emptier than the last time Kadoma stayed over?

"Kadoma," called Mizuki from the top bunk. She peered over the wooden ledge of her bed, honey-colored bangs flying into her face. "Did you bring a futon like last time?"

Kadoma shook his head. "Tennouji senpai said that there wasn't enough time to supply everyone with futons," he explained. "But it's okay! I can sleep on the…" he looked around and finally settled for, "err…the floor."

"No!" Mizuki replied hastily. "There's no way we can let you do that! Why don't you sleep in my bed?" she suggested.

Sano looked up from his desk, staring at Mizuki. _'Are you saying what I _think_ you're saying…?'_

Kadoma cast shy eyes on his senpai. "Is…is that okay with you? I'd be honored to share your bed with you," he stammered.

Mizuki stared at her kouhai wide-eyed. _'Uh-oh…that's not what I meant to say!'_ She stared at Sano desperately, telepathically begging him to rectify the situation. _'But what am I thinking? I don't want to be a burden to Sano either by asking him to share his bed with me…" _Mizuki wracked her head frantically trying to think of a solution.

Sano stood up from his chair. "Kadoma, why don't you use Mizuki's bed? Mizuki and I can share mine." When he saw that Kadoma was going to protest, Sano interrupted with, "You don't have a choice. It's really more convenient for us that way."

Kadoma looked unconvinced, but he didn't want to argue with his seniors. Mizuki felt faint with relief. _'Sano! You rock!'_ she cheered silently. She climbed down from her bed and drew back the curtains to the bottom bunk. "Sano, aren't you coming in?"

Sano stared at the petite figure smiling at him from his bed. Suddenly his chest felt tight and his stomach clenched. _'It's like she's teasing me on purpose. Doesn't she know how she makes me feel when she looks at me like that? Why does she have that effect on me?' _But Sano knew the answer to his question.

'_It's because I like her so damn much.'_

Mizuki stared worriedly as she saw Sano's eyebrows crease with frustration. "Sano…?"

Sano snapped out of his soliloquy. "I'm coming."

Mizuki shifted over as Sano climbed into the bed. Sano drew the curtains and called, "Kadoma? Could you turn off the lights?"

"Sure!" replied the first year. The bunk beds creaked as Kadoma climbed down and headed to the light switch. The room was immersed in darkness and Kadoma crawled back up. "Good night, Mizuki senpai! Sano senpai!"

"Good night."

"Sleep well, Kadoma!"

* * *

The steady tick-tock of the clock was especially unnerving tonight, Sano observed irritably. The places where Mizuki's body touched his burned unbearably. While Mizuki had initially fallen asleep facing the wall, she had shifted sometime in the night and now faced Sano instead. Sano couldn't help but stare at the sleeping figure's soft skin and long, dark lashes…the slightly parted lips…the slender neck… As his gaze traveled lower, his eyes widened, startled. Mizuki's usually flat chest now swelled unmistakably. Sano gulped. He felt beads of sweat forming on his face. He had no idea how she could make her chest look as flat as they did when in reality… Sano shook his head, forcing himself to abandon that train of thought. He looked away and shut his eyes tightly.

…Or at least, he tried to. Like magic, Mizuki's inherent femininity beckoned him to look, stare, and indulge himself. Sano opened his eyes, half-reluctantly and half-willingly, and turned to look at the sleeping beauty beside him.

"Nngh." Mizuki stirred in her sleep. Sano froze. For a split second, he felt like a little boy caught with a stack of dirty magazines. When Mizuki's breathing finally evened, he lifted one hand hesitantly. Slowly, he traced Mizuki's jaw line with a finger.

'_I…I can't stop myself.'_

Breathing gone slightly erratic, Sano shifted and leaned over Mizuki. He placed his arms and knees on either side of her. Mizuki didn't even move. Slowly, he leaned over and kissed the unknowing Mizuki on the lips.

Mizuki mumbled something against Sano's lips. _'I don't care if she wakes up now,'_ he thought. He almost _wanted_ her to wake up, for her to see how he really felt about her. But at the same time, he knew that he would regret it in the morning… or would he?

He lowered his head to kiss her again when he heard Mizuki's faint voice. He paused and listened.

"…Fried…pork cutlet…please…"

Sano stared, dumbfounded. There was a pause where Sano didn't know whether to groan in frustration or to laugh. Humor won out as a sudden attack of laughter threatened to spill over his lips. He trembled in his attempt to keep quiet.

When the laughing fit subsided, he moved back to his side of the bed. He suddenly felt tired. _'I'm finally ready to sleep,'_ was the last thought he had before he closed his eyes and relaxed against his pillow, the soft bed sheets, and the warm body pressed snugly against him.

**

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**A****/N:** Wow. I'm really surprised by the reviews I got on the first two chapters of "Even Through the Fire." It's been almost exactly a year since I posted the first chapter, and yet I've still gotten a lot of reviews from people asking me to continue writing. I'm sorry it took me so long. In fact, I probably wouldn't have written chapter three if it hadn't been for a local manga store that had the complete set of Hana-Kimi (translated into Korean, though). I've been reading them religiously, since all we have in the states is the first few books. For the record, I lost the original outline for this story. This means that I have nooo idea how this story is going to end up. Yes, that's right--I'm just as lost as my readers. Hopefully it'll turn out well. Anyway, I hope all of you are enjoying the summer! Thanks for reading thus far and—although I can't make any promises—I'll try to write more as inspiration strikes.


	4. Chapter Four

**Even Through the Fire**

A Hana-Kimi Fic

By: Eris Snow

_Through the fire, through the limit, to the wall  
For a chance to be with you, I would risk it all._

Kanye West, "Through the Wire"

**Chapter Four**

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**A/N:** Oops. I re-posted because some of the page breaks didn't show. Sorry!

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A hesitant poke in Mizuki's side caused her to twitch. Her eyebrows creased and the corners of her mouth drooped into a small frown. She mumbled something incoherently. A few moments later, she flopped onto her side, turning her back to an extremely flustered Kadoma.

"S—senpai…" he called weakly. He hung his head and sighed. It was no use. He had been trying unsuccessfully for the past five minutes to wake up his senpai. He tried poking her in the ribs, tickling her feet, and even blowing on her face. All this proved to be futile, however, as Mizuki would only mumble and turn over.

_'Why did Sano senpai have to leave early for morning practice?'_ he lamented sorrowfully. _'If I don't wake Mizuki senpai up soon, we're both going to be late for class!'_

"Senpaiiii…please please please wake up…" Kadoma moaned. He glanced at the clock and gasped. "Mizuki senpai! Mizuki senpai!"

Oblivious to the panic she was inducing in her kouhai, Mizuki whined in her sleep and turned onto her back. Kadoma was ready to cry. He looked around frantically, trying to think of another way to get Mizuki out of bed. Finally, he eyed the pillow tucked snugly underneath Mizuki's head. He gulped. _'I…I hope senpai doesn't get too mad at me…'_ was his last thought before he closed his eyes tightly and yanked the pillow from Mizuki's head.

"Mmph."

Kadoma hesitantly opened one eye. And then another. His mouth fell open in dismay when he found his senpai _still_ fast asleep. He was about to pull the bed sheets from under him when Mizuki turned over to her side again. This time, however, her arm and leg slammed into the wall with a resounding thud that caused both Kadoma and Mizuki to yelp in surprise.

"Senpai! You're awake!"

"Kadoma…? What are you doing here?" she asked wonderingly, rubbing her eyes. She yawned. "Where's Sano?"

"Sano senpai had morning practice. He told me to wake you up and make sure you wouldn't be late—" Kadoma gasped and looked at the clock again. "Senpai! We only have ten more minutes 'til class!" he shouted urgently.

Mizuki jerked upright, hitting her head on the top bunk in the process. "Ow!" she yelped. She rubbed her head. "We're going to be late!" she wailed as she clambered out of bed. In her haste, she failed to realize that the blanket was still intertwined between her legs. The minute she got out of bed, she tripped over her bound legs and fell on the ground.

"Are you alright?" Kadoma asked worriedly. As soon as he looked at the clock again, the minute hand inched closer to 8:30. "Ack!" He hoisted Mizuki from the ground and tugged the blankets away from her legs. "I'll make the bed. Please hurry and get ready for class! Sano senpai asked me to help you with your tie," he said.

"Th-thanks!" Mizuki blushed as she hurried towards the bathroom.

Kadoma heard Mizuki lock the bathroom door. He grinned, despite the fact that they were going to be late. _'Mizuki senpai is really funny,'_ he thought as he folded the blanket in half. He tugged on the corners of the bed sheets to even out the crinkles. He suddenly stopped in alarm. In the middle of the bed were two bright crimson spots staining the otherwise baby blue bed sheets. Kadoma stared.

_'Is this…blood?'_

_

* * *

_

Ignoring the irritated look on her physics teacher's face, Mizuki uttered a brief "Shitsurei shimasu!" before dashing off to the bathroom. Her teacher usually forbade students from leaving the classroom once the bell rang, but Mizuki had tried to convey the urgency of her situation. When she finally ran out of options, she suddenly stood up and shouted, "Sensei! I think I'm going to throw up!"

That got Yamada sensei's attention—and that of the entire class. As Mizuki ran out the door, she thought she heard Nakatsu whisper worriedly, "Are you going to be okay?"

In reality, Mizuki needed to throw up as much as the next healthy person. The only problem plaguing her was one that all women suffered on a monthly basis, one that even the strongest birth control pill or Midol couldn't cure. Mizuki clutched her side as she hobbled to the bathroom.

She checked inside to see if the bathroom was empty. "Whew," she sighed as she locked the bathroom door. After a minute of rest, she decided to wash her hands in hot water; that sometimes made her feel better. Cures for menstrual pains were comparable to those of a hangover—while there seemed to be many remedies, none of them actually worked effectively. Not that Mizuki would actually know, being a minor and all.

"Maybe Umeda sensei has some painkillers in his office." Mizuki dried her hands and staggered to the school's health clinic.

* * *

Sano had been the first to notice that Mizuki was feeling unwell. His eyebrows creased ever so slightly as he watched her wrap two slender arms around her waist. Ten minutes later, she was hunched over her desk, head down as if she were concentrating on the textbook before her. Sano knew better, however. The rise and fall of her shoulders became more pronounced as she began to take deeper breaths. He looked around. Couldn't anyone else see that she was in pain? Nakatsu was staring off into space and Sekime was tracing patterns idly in the margin of his notebook. Sano closed his eyes, frowning. The temptation to extend his arm and touch her curved back in an attempt to soothe her was threatening to undo him. His fingers twitched in his lap.

Fortunately for him, Mizuki's hand shot up in the air at that exact moment. He watched the teacher's nostrils flare in annoyance, then shake his head curtly. Mizuki's face fell. Sano wanted to punch the guy. Other friends seemed to finally notice Mizuki's impaired state as well. In the end, after Mizuki had fairly shouted at her teacher, she was permitted to go. Feathery brown hair whipped past her face as she rushed out of the classroom. Sano's eyes stayed glued to the doorway even after Mizuki had left. Was she really okay? What was she up to this time? He could never be fully at ease when it came to her. Knowing her, she was getting herself into another sticky situation that would risk revealing her identity…

"She'll be okay," came a barely audible voice.

Sano looked askance at the student seated in the row next to him. Kayashima wore a small smile of reassurance. "He'll be fine."

Sano gave a small nod of thanks. If Kayashima said Mizuki would be okay, then she would be. Mizuki could take care of herself—most of the time, anyway.

* * *

It wasn't until Mizuki's mind had registered the lingering scent of smoke that she realized that Umeda sensei wouldn't be at his office—if there even _was_ an office to begin with. She halted in her steps, momentarily forgetting about the throbbing pain in her side. The walls were blackened, casting a foreboding, unfamiliar look on the formerly well-traversed hallway.

_'I really hope Umeda sensei is okay…'_ Mizuki worried silently. Her steps slowed as she approached his old office. Yellow tape warded off curious passersby from probing too closely at the ruined clinic. Mizuki was halfway tempted to peer in and see if she could retrieve some of her feminine items back, but she knew this was impossible.

"And where might _you_ be going, hm?"

Mizuki jerked in surprise. She turned to find the school physician smirking at her, cool eyes glinting behind steel-frame glasses.

"Sensei!" she exclaimed. "What are you still doing here?"

Umeda grinned. "It's school policy to always have at least one physician on campus at all times. They re-hired me temporarily until they find a substitute."

"That's great!" Mizuki squealed. "Er…" she blushed. "I mean, it's bad that you're not hired permanently, but…" She cringed when she felt Umeda's eyes boring into her. "…I guess… it's better than you not being here at all, right…?" she finished, embarrassed.

"But if it weren't for a certain somebody, I wouldn't even _be_ in this mess to begin with, isn't that right?"

"Well, yes, but…" Mizuki winced. The guy did have a point.

Umeda sighed. Maybe he was getting weak in his old age, but he decided he should stop giving the kid such a hard time. "Don't feel too badly. I'll be back. They _will_ hire me back," he stated with a confidence that bordered on impudence. Mizuki grinned, catching the silent "if they know what's good for them" implied in that statement.

"So what exactly are you doing here?" Umeda asked.

"Oh, right!" An unwelcome stab of pain jolted Mizuki's memory. "I needed some painkillers for…" Mizuki blushed. "For…you know…"

Umeda rolled his eyes. "Hai, hai. Come with me to my _new_ office," he said. Mizuki was only too happy to comply.

* * *

"He's late," Nakatsu remarked as the usual group minus one sat at the lunch table. "I really hope he's okay," he said worriedly. 

"He'll be fine," Kayashima assured him. "Nothing that some pain killers couldn't cure," he explained as he prodded his soba with a pair of chopsticks.

"Mizuki looked pretty uncomfortable in class. Did you see him?" Noe asked. "Hey, what exactly was wrong with him?" he asked Kayashima.

Sano was wondering, too. He craned his neck forward slightly to hear Kayashima's answer better over the din of the cafeteria. He was surprised when Kayashima paused and cast him a brief sidelong glance. He blinked. '_Why did he look at me?'_ he wondered.

"Just some cramps, I think," Kayashima finally said.

"You think?" Noe echoed. "It seems like your sixth sense has its limits after all," he commented.

If Kayashima felt offended at the underestimation of his abilities, he didn't show it. He shrugged. "I can't know everything, you know."

And Sano was very glad for that, lest he discover the truth about Mizuki's identity.

"And would you speak of the devil. Here he comes now," Noe said as he pointed with his chopsticks.

Mizuki arrived with a tray full of lunch. "Sorry I'm late," she smiled apologetically. "I wasn't feeling too well." Sano inched over to give Mizuki enough room to squeeze in on the bench. "Itadakimasu!" she said before digging into her meal.

"So where were you?" Nakatsu pressed, leaning forward. "You were gone for an awfully long time, you know."

"I went to get some painkillers from Umeda sensei," she explained. "Sorry for making you worry," she apologized with a smile.

"Are you okay?" Sano asked. He noticed that his roommate was still looking a bit tired. He frowned. Why didn't he notice in the morning? Was she not sick then?

"You seemed to be okay this morning," he mused. "What happened?"

Mizuki looked up from her meal in surprise. "You left before I woke up, remember? If it hadn't been for Kadoma, I would've been late for class."

"Oh. Right," Sano said. He smirked. "You were drooling on my pillow when I woke up," he commented offhandedly, ruffling Mizuki's hair playfully.

Mizuki choked on her soba. Sano laughed and handed her a glass of water, completely disregarding the teary-eyed glare his roommate was shooting him. Nakatsu watched the exchange between the two with an uneasy feeling growing in the pit of his stomach.

The feeling reminded him of his first rollercoaster ride at a Tokyo theme park. The first plunge made his stomach drop, as if a speeding soccer ball had punched him in the gut and knocked the wind out of his lungs. Up and down, careening on the metal tracks of doom…he thought the ride would never end. As he observed the easy camaraderie between the love of his life and his best friend, he wondered if love was just like that rollercoaster ride—an experience along the spectrum of exhilaration to fear and anxiety.

But what was he thinking? Nakatsu shook his head with a rueful grin. When the heck did he indulge in this kind of deep contemplation? _'Don't think so hard. You'll hurt yourself,'_ he chuckled as he thought to himself.

_'As if you're not hurting now,'_ his subconscious whispered knowingly.

Nakatsu grimaced.

"Well, shall we get going?" Kayashima nudged his pensive roommate gently in the side. "You had better finish your noodles before next period starts," he advised.

"Huh?" Nakatsu snapped out of his reverie. "Oh—yeah. Sorry," he smiled weakly. He looked around and saw that everyone else was getting up to put their trays away. "Sorry guys," he apologized.

"That's okay. Take your time," Mizuki smiled at him. "I'm going to go ahead because I need to get something from my room."

"I'll go with you," Sano offered immediately.

To both Sano and Nakatsu's surprise, Mizuki began to turn a distinct shade of pink.

"N-no…you go on ahead. It'll just be a second," she stammered. Before Sano could argue with her, Mizuki was sprinting out of the cafeteria.

Sano and Nakatsu exchanged a look. "I wonder what that was all about," Nakatsu mused. Sano didn't reply.

"Looks like I'll head out too, then," Sano said. "See ya."

Which left Nakatsu alone with his cold soba noodles…or so he thought.

"I can wait for you," Kayashima said.

Nakatsu shook his head, the Japanese custom of refusing even the smallest of favors ingrained in his body like a bad habit. "It's okay. You go on ahead."

"It's fine," Kayashima said easily and he slid back into his seat.

"Thanks," Nakatsu answered, grateful for the company. The cafeteria began to empty out, with only a handful of students and the kitchen staff remaining. Nakatsu forced himself to finish his lunch quickly.

"Let's go," Nakatsu said, getting ready to stand up.

Kayashima grabbed his arm, much to Nakatsu's surprise.

"What is it?" he asked.

"You should tell him how you feel," Kayashima stated without preamble.

Nakatsu blinked. He didn't need a sixth sense to know what Kayashima was talking about. He quelled the urge to deny feeling anything, knowing that his roommate had the uncanny ability to see through his façade. "Yeah," he answered finally.

"I mean it."

"Why now, though?"

Kayashima looked away. "Something might be happening."

Nakatsu stared uncomprehendingly. "What?"

After a pause, Kayashima looked him full in the face again. "Something might be happening," he repeated. "You should let Mizuki know how you feel about him before it's…it's too late," he finished, realizing how cliché he sounded. "I know that's not telling you much, but there's a good chance that Mizuki won't be here anymore."

When Nakatsu only continued to stare, Kayashima sighed. "Let's go," he said, taking the tray from his roommate's hands.

As the two walked back to class in the nearly deserted hallway, Nakatsu could only think about the foreboding advice Kayashima had said.

_'Tell him how you feel._

_There's a good chance Mizuki won't be here anymore.'_

Nakatsu glanced at his silent roommate. _'What could this all mean…?'_

_

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**A/N: **It's been a while! Forgive me; nothing really happened in this chapter. But I did want to post _something_ up, so…something is better than nothing, no? Finals are over and winter break has thankfully begun, which potentially means that the next chapter _may_ be posted before 2006 starts. Like I mentioned previously, however, I have _no clue_ where this story is going. Any suggestions? I promise I'll consider every single one of them (but that doesn't necessarily guarantee I'll actually go through with all—or any—of them).

Also, another thing. From a writer's standpoint, it can sometimes be difficult to write Mizuki's gender pronouns correctly. While I'd like to think I get it right maybe 98 of the time, there will inevitably be slip-ups. I don't mind when they're pointed out to me, as long as _that's not the only thing you comment on._ Regardless of the intent, I perceive it to be pretty rude when the only thing the review consists of is a pronoun error. It's a freaking pronoun. I assume you're all intelligent people and, despite my mistakes, you'll know who I'm referring to. Otherwise, thank you all for all the reviews you've sent.

Thanks for reading! Happy holidays!


	5. Chapter Five

**Even Through the Fire**

A Hana-Kimi Fic

By: Eris Snow

_Through the fire, through the limit, to the wall  
For a chance to be with you, I would risk it all._

Kanye West, "Through the Wire"

**Chapter Five**

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Two large fists slammed into the wooden table, demanding the attention of the rest of the council. Tennouji Megumi, president of the karate club and current member of the Inquisitorial Squad, looked more disgruntled than his usual self. A dark scowl and creased eyebrows added an intimidating cast to his already formidable features.

Rather than eliciting the fear and respect he desired, the rest of the council paid him minimal heed. The infamous (or so he liked to believe) Oscar M. Himejima glared from under long, curled lashes. Nanba Minami merely smirked at his peevish colleague. And finally, Kujou Itsuki, the supposed president of the Inquisitorial Squad, was…

…conspicuously absent.

"Where the _hell_ is he!" Tennouji raged.

"Calm down," Nanba placated, clearly amused by the heated Tennouji. "I'm sure he had a good reason for being late. He's usually a stickler for punctuality."

"Well, he should take his own advice and not waste my precious time," Himejima huffed. Not only did he have enough trouble with his dorm head duties, this Inquisitorial Squad was taking even more valuable time away from his adoring fans.

"Hai, hai," Nanba said, humoring the drama king. "Well. Shall we get started?" he asked.

Tennouji sighed and slumped into his chair. "Might as well," he conceded. He gave a final look at the clock, noting that Kujou had wasted twenty minutes of their time. "So," he began, "we're meeting today to discuss alternative measures for carrying out the Inquisitorial Squad duties. This means that—"

"—Precisely what _are_ our duties anyway?" Nanba interrupted. Tennouji glared at the intrusion. Nanba promptly ignored him. "What if we don't find the female student because—gasp!—there really isn't one?" he challenged. Despite the supposed evidence, he was skeptical. How could a girl be living such an existence _here_? Right under their noses? And even if she could, wouldn't his sixth sense—the acclaimed Girl Radar (patent pending)—have detected her by now?

"Then why would Umeda sensei have those…those…"

Nanba and Himejima watched in sudden interest as Tennouji's usually stoic features took on a reddish hue.

"…Go on," Nanba prodded devilishly.

"Those…those… women's…women'ssanitarypads!" Tennouji blurted out.

An assenting grunt from Himejima. "You have a point there, Megu-chan."

"Don't call me that!" Tennouji raged.

Himejima ignored the outburst. "Nanba, he's _your_ uncle," he said pointedly. "Let us entertain the notion that those things belonged to him and not to some fugitive female student. What could he possibly have been thinking?"

Nanba winced. "Who knows, with him?" he shrugged. "Don't get me wrong—I love the guy. But don't gay people get their kicks from cross-dressing? You don't think this could be one of his little…uh…kinks? Cross-dressing to an extreme…?"

Tennouji and Himejima stopped and stared.

After a brief silence, both clutched their stomachs and began rolling out the ground, laughing.

Nanba was not amused.

As soon as he was about to express his annoyance, the meeting room's previously locked doors creaked open.

"Kujou!" Tennouji bellowed, immediately picking himself up from the floor. "Where have you been?" he demanded.

"I apologize for my tardiness," he began. The others noticed that the usually composed, suave senior was a bit short of breath. "But I think we may have found her." The others stilled and held their breaths, catching the Cheshire cat grin spreading on Kujou's face.

"Well?" Himejima urged.

Kujou looked over his shoulder, then swung open the door.

"_Kadoma!_" the council yelled in unison.

* * *

Mizuki, for the most part, enjoyed good relations with Trouble. Although they inevitably crossed paths, Trouble had mostly left Mizuki alone. After all, Mizuki had arrived safely in Japan, had successfully duped the school into believing she was a guy, and was even lucky enough to share a room with her life-long crush.

With all these fortunate events in her life, perhaps Trouble thought she was a bit overdue for a disastrous encounter.

Consequently, Mizuki came face-to-face with Trouble when she arrived at her room and discovered that her dwindling stash of sanitary napkins and tampons were strewn haphazardly across the floor.

Mizuki froze. Wide, nervous eyes and dilated pupils took an account of the room. Good thing she had left the cafeteria by herself; her stomach churned at the thought of Sano discovering the unwarranted display of feminine articles. The drawers of her dresser were pulled open and clothes were piled on the floor. She spotted Shizuki's package—hadn't she hidden that somewhere?—opened and noticeably rummaged through.

Mizuki felt her mind go numb. She seemed unable to do anything except whisper a certain mantra with dry, parched lips:

_'Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no…'_

* * *

While Noe and Sekime were busy griping about their next class, Sano's thoughts lingered on Mizuki's hasty retreat from the cafeteria. He frowned. No matter how he tried to rationalize it, something definitely didn't feel right. Being sick to her stomach, ditching physics, and then running away from him…?

Something didn't add up.

"Hey guys," he called. Noe and Sekime turned their attention to him. "I'm going to stop by my room. You guys go ahead."

Fortunately, the two didn't notice anything suspicious. "Okay, just don't be late," Sekime advised with a grin.

"Yeah," Sano said noncommittally.

After parting with his companions, he went around the corridor, down the stairs, and entered his dormitory.

To his surprise, he saw Kayashima in front of his door. Kayashima looked up and met his eyes from across the hallway. Before Sano could ask why Kayashima was there, the smaller athlete sprinted down the hall towards him.

"Something's wrong," Kayashima said in a low voice. Sano was still surprised to fully comprehend the psychic's words; he had never seen Kayashima run that quickly before.

"What is it?" Sano inquired. Worry knit his dark eyebrows together conspicuously.

"I think…Mizuki might have been found out," Kayashima said answered back. Deep purple eyes cast Sano with a knowing look. "You know what I'm talking about."

Sano suddenly grabbed Kayashima's forearm, surprising even the psychic and causing him to wince in pain. "You knew the whole time?" Sano demanded.

"I—yeah," Kayashima admitted. "Girls give off a different aura than guys do," he explained. "And don't worry—I never told anyone."

Sano drew himself up to his full height, probing Kayashima with such intense eyes that the psychic almost believed that Sano could read his aura as well. Seemingly satisfied, Sano finally released his arm.

"Sorry," he apologized. "That must've hurt."

"Don't worry about it," Kayashima brushed off. "But more importantly—I think someone else has discovered Mizuki's secret."

"HEY!"

The unexpected shout caused both Sano and Kayashima to jump. Nakatsu was making his way down the staircase. "Kayashima! Where are you?" he called. "You're going to make us late!"

"Damn," Sano cursed. "What should we do?"

Before Kayashima could reply, Nakatsu emerged from the doorway. "Hey, you two," he blinked in surprise. "What are you doing?"

When Sano and Kayashima failed to answer right away, Nakatsu began to frown in worry. "Is something happening?" he demanded. "I saw Kujou and Kadoma just coming from the stairs, too. They seemed like they were in a big rush—"

Nakatsu was caught off-guard when Sano and Kayashima shot each other a panicked look.

"Kadoma… isn't he rooming with you?" demanded Kayashima.

"Yeah… and he was with Kujou senpai? The captain of the Inquisitorial Squad?" Sano's eyes hardened.

The two seemed to exchange a telepathic message that Nakatsu, for the life of him, could not decode. Sano and Kayashima simultaneously sprinted past the bewildered soccer player, racing toward the stair well.

"HEY!" Nakatsu shouted at them, frustration tinged with alarm seeping into his voice. "Fine! Since you guys won't tell me, I'm going to see if Mizuki knows anything—"

To Nakatsu's surprise, Sano came running back and slammed him against the wall. "Don't you dare go into her room!" he snarled. "Leave her alone!"

Nakatsu grabbed the arms that were pinning him against the wall. "What's gotten into you?" he demanded angrily. "And what do you mean, _her_? I'm going to see _Mizuki,_ damn it! Mizuki_—_"

When the grip on his shirt began to slacken, Nakatsu realized what Sano had just said. Comprehension—and consequently, shock—dawned on him.

_"Don't you dare go into _her_ room…!"_

Sano's angry voice rang shrilly in the soccer player's mind. Nakatsu's throat suddenly felt very dry. "No…way…" he croaked. "There's no… freakin'… way…"

The pair stared at each other, one wary and the other incredulous. Nakatsu slowly pushed Sano's hands away and righted himself off of the wall. Sano stepped back to let Nakatsu stand.

"All this time?" Nakatsu asked dazedly. "He—she—Mizuki was tricking us?"

Sano watched warily as conflicting emotions flickered across Nakatsu's face. He didn't need to have Kayashima's sixth sense to read the hurt, betrayal, and fear that his friend was experiencing.

* * *

**A/N**: Short update this time. Unfortunately, I can almost guarantee that the next chapter won't come out 'til after spring break. ;;

Actually…on second thought, it's possible that the next one won't be up until summer break starts. I have the unenviable choice of having to decide between Hawaii, Florida, and Cali for a spring break trip! Woohoo! Wherever I end up going, it'll definitely be a nice change from freezing my ass off in Chicago, ugh. So if I'm pleasantly occupied during break, there's a good chance that I won't be writing. Sorry!

But I left you all with a wonderful cliffhanger, ne?


	6. Chapter Six

**Even Through the Fire**

A Hana-Kimi Fic

By: Eris Snow

_Through the fire, through the limit, to the wall_

_For a chance to be with you, I would risk it all._

Kanye West, "Through the Wire"

**Chapter Six**

* * *

Sano closed his eyes. The silence of the dormitory was suffocating. 

True, the dorms were usually vacant during this time of day. Students who were exempt from the early afternoon classes were busy with special athletic training. Sano himself had attended these sessions before certain track meets and had not returned until well past dinnertime. That was a comforting thought; that meant that they had the dorm all to themselves for at least a few more hours.

"Hey," Nakatsu said finally, breaking the stillness.

Sano opened his eyes and looked down at the dejected figure slumped against the opposite wall. Nakatsu wore an unusually serious look on his face. "Yeah?" he answered back.

"Is Mizuki in the room?" Nakatsu asked. He was looking down at the floor, face obscured by his blonde hair.

Sano hesitated, trying to gauge the expression on Nakatsu's face. "I'm not sure," he said cautiously. "Probably."

After a moment's pause, Nakatsu asked, "Think we should go look in on her?"

Sano, still wary of Nakatsu's unusual display of calmness, failed to answer right away. If they found Mizuki in the room, what would Nakatsu do?

But more importantly, what would _he_ do...? What was he to do, now that Mizuki faced expulsion from the school and, possibly, even from his life...?

Before he could finish that train of thought, Nakatsu suddenly jumped up to his feet and shoved a rather startled Sano against the wall.

"I said, 'Do you think we should check up on her?'!" Nakatsu repeated angrily.

Despite the pain in his shoulder after having been pushed abruptly against the wall, Sano felt slightly relieved. At least this was more like the Nakatsu he knew.

"We probably should," he answered calmly, forcibly removing Nakatsu's hands. "Let's go."

The two walked to Sano and Mizuki's room without saying a word, both lost in their own thoughts and apprehensive of what they might find. Before they reached the door, Sano suddenly stopped.

"Let me go in first," he said. Nakatsu hesitated, then nodded.

Sano took a deep breath and twisted the doorknob.

* * *

_I'm too late_, Kayashima thought as he saw Kadoma disappear behind Kujou into one of the school's conference rooms.

The large wooden door closed slowly behind Kadoma. Before Kayashima could think, he had darted noiselessly to the door and caught it by his fingertips before it closed shut. Kayashima slowly released the breath that he had been holding. He gently let go of the door. Luckily, the door was heavy and stayed open.

He inched as close to the door as he dared. Closing his eyes to concentrate, he tried to make out the voices inside the conference room.

* * *

"...and then I saw Kujou senpai. I didn't mean to say anything, but..." Kadoma trailed off. 

"But I knew from the look on his face that he was pretty upset, " Kujou finished for him. "I told him that if he was feeling sick, he should go to the nurse's office. He said that he would and excused himself."

Before continuing his explanation, Kujou perched himself on the conference table. "I was planning on letting it go at that, but I realized that he was heading toward the old nurse's office...you know, the one that got burned down."

Kujou was interrupted by a loud moan. "I'm so dumb!" Kadoma wailed. He covered his eyes with his hands and threw his head back. "I was wondering why you had followed me!"

"Go on," Nanba prodded, ignoring Kadoma's interjection. "What happened after that?"

Kujou didn't like the dark look Nanba had on his face, but didn't comment on it. "So, I went after him to tell him that the new nurse's office was the other way. To my surprise, he passed the office completely and starting running towards the dorms. I thought something might be wrong, so I followed him," he finished. Kujou looked at Kadoma expectantly, indicating that he should continue.

"Um...well, about that..." Kadoma began. He fidgeted with the hem of his school uniform. "I went back because I forgot to hide the package I had found under Mizuki senpai's bed. I didn't what him...er, her...to know that I had found out. But Kujou senpai came in and saw me with Mizuki senpai's dress in my hands," Kadoma explained, clearly getting more upset with every word.

Kujou grinned. "I initially thought that Kadoma was the girl. Kadoma started to deny it, though, then suddenly stopped. After that, he refused to say anything else. That's when I took the box from his hands and found a letter addressed to Mizuki inside."

"What did the letter say?" Tenjou pressed. He wore his trademark scowl, while Himejima affected a look of mild interest. Again, Kujou couldn't help but notice the uncharacteristically foreboding look on Nanba's face.

"Hm," Kujou thought aloud. "I can't remember the contents exactly. It was a letter from her brother, but otherwise I can't really remember what it said. Still, it clearly indicated that--"

"Then I don't believe it," Nanba interrupted flatly.

The others looked at him in surprise. "S...senpai?" Kadoma ventured.

"I want to see that letter," Nanba demanded, rising from his seat. "If it doesn't explicitly state that Mizuki is the girl we're looking for, I refuse to believe that it's him," he emphasized the last word by slamming both hands against the table.

The upperclassmen exchanged a silent look. Nanba rarely ever became this serious, but they knew that he had a stubborn streak as tall as Tokyo Tower. If Nanba put his mind to something, they were going to have a hard time of convincing him otherwise.

"I know you're upset, given that Mizuki is in your dorm after all," Kujou tried to reason. "But I assure you that once you see the letter, you'll realize that the evidence is irrefutable."

Nanba's dark eyes glinted coldly. "Then give me that letter."

"Better yet, why don't we ask Mizuki ourselves?" Himejima suggested.

Kadoma whimpered, eyes wide with fright. "If it's my fault that Mizuki senpai is expelled--"

"He won't be expelled," Nanba stated confidently, giving a reassuring yet firm smile to Kadoma. He turned to the rest of the group. "Fine, let's get to the heart of the matter and ask Mizuki himself."

The others looked relieved that Nanba was still listening to reason. Before they became too happy, however, Nanba interrupted them with one condition. "But," he added, "let me talk to him alone."

Tennouji began to protest. Himejima, however, cut him off. "Agreed," he answered. "Maybe that would be best after all. Megu-chan might even scare Mizuki into giving a false confession," he smirked, trying to appear as if making light of the situation.

"Damn it, I told you not to call me that!"

"Give me a few days," Nanba said, ignoring Tennouji's outburst.

"Why the delay?" Kujou asked casually.

Nanba hesitated. "I need some time to figure out how I'm going to approach him," he replied slowly. _At least that's partially true_, he thought to himself.

"Sounds reasonable enough," Himejima assented. "We'll meet back here in three days. _On time_," he added, with a pointed look at Kujou. Kujou smirked in acknowledgment of the jibe.

"Then if you'll excuse me," Nanba got up from the table and quickly exited the room.

The other four watched Nanba's hurried exit. "Senpai is really worried about all this, isn't he?" Kadoma asked.

Kujou smiled. "I wonder how he's going to get out of this one," he commented to no one in particular. Seeing the puzzled look on his kouhai's face, he explained, "If Mizuki really is the girl we're looking for, you don't think he's really going to let the school find out about her, do you?"

He chuckled when he saw hope quickly replace the look of astonishment on Kadoma's face. "But you're--you're the captain of the Inquisitorial Squad!" Kadoma exclaimed. "And Nanba senpai is one of the squad members!"

"It would appear so, wouldn't it?" Kujou answered vaguely with a cryptic smile. "Stop worrying," he said, placing a hand on Kadoma's head. "I'm sure Nanba will figure something out."

* * *

Kayashima barely avoided being hit by the door as Nanba exited the conference room. Nanba started, just noticing the underclassman's presence. The two met each other's eyes. 

"Did you hear everything?" Nanba asked, apparently not caring if Kayashima had spied on them or not.

"Pretty much," Kayashima answered. "If you're going to look for Mizuki, she's probably in her room right now," he suggested.

Nanba raised an eyebrow at the usage of Kayashima's pronouns. "In her room, you said? Is Sano in there with...her?"

"He might be," Kayashima guessed. "We were together earlier, but I came ahead to follow Kujou senpai and Kadoma. Sano stayed behind with..." Kayashima sighed. "I guess that means Nakatsu knows by now too, then."

Nanba wore a bemused expression on his face. "So it is true. Mizuki really is a girl," he said in a neutral voice. He saw Kayashima nod his head slightly.

"Well, then. Fuck."

* * *

**A/N: **The long-awaited chapter! Or do I flatter myself? ;;

I made Nanba scary. OO;; Can you picture a scary Nanba? I can't remember if he's ever shown a scary side in the manga. Still, he's related to Umeda, so he must have a mean/scary streak somewhere in his genes! Ne? ;;;

As you can see, this fic is slowly drawing to a close. There's probably only about two more chapters left in this fic. I had a lot of fun with it, despite the massive writer's block. Actually, I'm studying abroad right now in the motherland of anime and manga--Japan! So maybe inspiration will strike sooner this time, hm? I'll be back in the States come January, but hopefully I'll have posted the end of this fic before then. ;;

Happy reading!


	7. Chapter Seven

**Even Through the Fire**

A Hana-Kimi Fic

By:

Eris Snow

_Through the fire, to the limit, to the wall_

_For a chance to be with you, I'd gladly risk it all._

Kanye West, "Through the Wire"

**Chapter Seven**

**

* * *

  
**

**A/N**: I apologize for the ridiculously long hiatus. This chapter hasn't been edited and I wrote the majority of it in one sitting, so I apologize for it being a bit rough around the edges. The reason for the rush delivery was because I didn't want to prolong submitting this chapter even further.

…But then again, maybe there won't be anyone rushing to read this chapter anyway, so I should've spent the extra day or two proofreading this... ;__;

Argh.

* * *

Mizuki was skilled at many things. She could easily outrun even the most athletic boys in her school, and up until now, she had found herself to be a very convincing actress. After all, she had disguised herself as a student of an all-male academy for the past two years—no small feat, if she did say so herself.

However, if there was one thing that Mother Nature failed to bestow her with, it was a sense of direction.

Mizuki looked out the passenger seat window and for the umpteenth time that day, she had a nagging feeling that she should recognize the verdant landscape passing her by. Something about the winding roads, the faint smell of salt that hung in the air, and the sparsely populated locale had tickled her memory. But for the life of her, Mizuki couldn't figure out where she was headed. In fact, she wouldn't be too surprised if she found out that she wasn't even in Japan anymore.

She glanced over at Sano who was silently steering the car. "_Now_ can you tell me where we're going?" she asked.

Sano ignored her, staring blankly ahead. He had deftly maneuvered the roads all day without even glancing at a map. At first, Mizuki wondered if he was taking her to his house. But Mizuki had never been there before, so there was no reason why the landscape should seem so familiar.

"We're in California, aren't we?" she blurted out without thinking.

That got her an incredulous snort as Sano briefly took his eyes off the road to stare at her.

Mizuki laughed, embarrassed. "Okay, that was silly – I wasn't thinking." She slouched in her seat and fidgeted with her hands. "But will you tell me where we're going already?" she asked. "You haven't said a thing to me since you rushed me out of school, you know…"

To her surprise, Sano actually responded to her this time. "We're going to visit Io-san," he said.

"Io-san?" Mizuki echoed, surprised. She sat up straighter in her seat. "Why?"

"We thought it was a good idea," Sano replied simply.

Mizuki was puzzled. "Why…? It's still during the school term."

The queasy feeling in her stomach told her exactly why Sano thought it was a good idea for her to get away from the school. '_I've been found out, haven't I…he knows I'm the girl everyone's looking for,'_ she thought miserably.

"So…" Mizuki began. "Who else knows that we're leaving?"

"Just Nanba senpai. I haven't told anyone else," Sano answered.

Mizuki stared at the road ahead of her as she mulled over the implications behind their early morning getaway. _'Sano…and Nanba sensei…they must have figured out that I'm the girl everyone's looking for. There's no other explanation why they wanted me to get away so quickly…'_

"So…" Mizuki began. "Does that mean you know that I'm a…?" her voice trailed off, unable to say _that word_.

"A girl?" Sano asked. Mizuki winced. "I know," Sano confirmed.

An awkward silence passed between the two passengers. For a moment, there was nothing but the wind whipping across the front of the car and the thrum of the car engine.

"You're not…mad?" Mizuki asked, finally. She fidgeted nervously with the seatbelt strapped across her body, cringing at what Sano might say next.

"Why would I be?" Sano replied.

"Because I deceived you all this time!" Mizuki blurted out. She put her hand on Sano's arm. "Because you thought I was a boy all this time, when in reality…" her voice trailed off.

Sano paused, unsure how to respond. _'Should I tell her that I knew she was a girl from the beginning?'_ Ever cautious, Sano mentally sorted through how Mizuki might react to this revelation. _'She might get upset that I hadn't told her sooner… but maybe she'd be relieved that I knew…or she might get embarrassed…'_

Although a part of Sano thought that Mizuki was too darn cute when she was squirming in embarrassment, he decided that it would be best if he came clean and told her the truth. "I guess…" he began slowly, "it would be hypocritical of me to judge you because I was hiding something from you, too." Sano waited for Mizuki to decipher his (admittedly) ambiguous confession.

Mizuki froze in apprehension. "You mean…"

"…You're a _girl_?!"

Sano sputtered and the car swerved slightly in the lane. "No!" he snapped, regaining control of the car. "I mean," he took a breath to calm himself, "I was hiding the fact that I knew you were a girl."

Sano had to laugh at Mizuki's wide-eyed expression. "It was when I took you to the nurse's office in the beginning of the school year," Sano explained. "Nakatsu knocked you out during a soccer game. I picked you up to take you to the nurse's office and I accidentally felt your…uh…" Sano stopped abruptly, cheeks turning crimson. _'Baka!'_ he silently berated himself. _'_Think _before you open that mouth of yours!'_

"My what?" Mizuki asked blankly.

A pause. "Your chest," Sano answered stiffly. He suddenly seemed very interested in the road ahead of them and refused to look anywhere near Mizuki's direction.

Mizuki's face burned. _'He felt my…!'_ Mizuki buried her face in her hands. Another awkward silence hung heavily in the air.

After a while, Sano cleared his throat. "I…uh, I didn't tell anyone else. About you being a girl."

"But how does Nanba senpai know?" Mizuki demanded.

Sano explained that Kadoma had found Mizuki's feminine belongings in the dorm room and that he had been caught by Kujou senpai. Mizuki's face grew increasingly miserable as Sano continued to tell her the rest of the previous night's events.

"They're going to kick me out, aren't they?" she asked softly once Sano had finished talking. Her head hung low and her hair fell across her face, obscuring her eyes. "Once they catch me, they're going to expel me from school." Mizuki felt tears forming in her eyes.

She yelped when she felt a large hand suddenly plop on to her head. She turned to look at Sano questioningly, eyes glistening.

"It's going to be okay," Sano said firmly, noting Mizuki's tear-filled eyes. "I promise. We're going to take you away for a while, but I promise you'll be back in school soon."

Mizuki felt slightly hopeful at his words, but a sense of uneasiness lingered.

"Get some rest," Sano said finally. "It's going to be a while until we reach Io's place. I'll wake you up once we get there."

Mizuki nodded and closed her eyes. _'As if I can sleep at a time like this,'_ she thought to herself.

* * *

While Mizuki slumped in her seat and silently fought the onslaught of nerves and guilt that wracked her body, Sano recalled the events from earlier that day. He was woken up early by a light but insistent rapping on his door. Irritated and afraid that Mizuki would wake up –actually, who was he kidding, this was Mizuki he was talking about—he opened the door to find an uncharacteristically serious-looking Nanba waiting at the door.

"Senpai," Sano said. He rubbed his eyes as the light from the hallway hit his sleep-ridden eyes. "What are you doing here so early in the morning?"

"It's urgent," Nanba answered quietly. He looked around the hallway quickly before stepping into Sano's room and closing the door softly behind him. "Mizuki still asleep?" he tilted his chin towards the direction of the bed. Sano nodded.

"Okay," Nanba said. "Here's what's going to happen. I want you to listen carefully. We don't have a lot of time before the other students start to wake up." He paused to make sure Sano was following him. Sano nodded, indicating he should continue. "I want you to take Mizuki and get out of here. Take my uncle—er, Umeda sensei's car."

Sano processed Nanba's words. "So I take it that you know?" he asked grimly. "You know about Mizuki's…ah…condition?"

Nanba nodded, his face equally grim. "And it's not just me – the rest of the Inquisitorial Squad knows that Mizuki is a girl, too. I told them I wanted to confront Mizuki myself before handing her over to the Squad, so I bought us a little time. I want Mizuki out of here before anyone wakes up. That way, I can claim ignorance and tell the Squad that she left before I could talk to her."

"But won't they be suspicious?" Sano pointed out.

Nanba smirked. "Leave them to me." His face became serious again. "Just promise me you'll get Mizuki out of here before the shit hits the fan."

Sano nodded. His mind was already whirring with all the things he needed to do in the next few minutes. He needed to pack his and Mizuki's things, wake Mizuki up, and make a hasty getaway from the school's parking lot.

"The car—" Sano began.

"You do have your driver's license, don't you?" Nanba asked, suddenly worried. His face split into his usual grin. "I can lend you mine if you don't. Just make sure to take care of the car. My uncle would be pissed if he knew I was lending it to you when you didn't have a license."

"I know how to drive," Sano assured him. Unlike most of his peers, he had gotten his drivers license immediately after turning 18 years old. He mentally patted himself on the back for his foresight in not putting off taking the driving exam.

"You better get going," Nanba advised. "Go to Io's place. You know, the place we worked at that one summer? She knows you guys are coming."

"Thanks, senpai." Sano bowed slightly to him and Nanba handed him Umeda's car keys. "I'll be in touch."

"You had better," Nanba grinned. "Take care of Mizuki."

"I will," Sano promised. _Always_.

* * *

After a few hours, the car pulled up to the familiar seaside resort. Io had greeted them as soon as the two had stepped out of the car with their bags. Mizuki marveled again at how elegant and feminine Io looked. _'I wonder if I'll ever look like that,'_ she thought to herself.

"Mizuki!" Io cried. She threw her arms around Mizuki and squeezed her tight.

"I-Io-san, it's been a while," Mizuki stammered as she found herself in Io's sudden embrace. "How have you been doing?"

"Fine, fine! But oh, never mind about me," Io waved her off. "I hear you're in some sort of trouble back at school. The cat's out of the bag now, isn't it?" she waggled her eyebrows mischievously. "I knew that something like this would happen one of these days."

Io was about to usher the two inside when she frowned, seeing something that she didn't like. She grabbed Mizuki's bag and tossed it to Sano. Sano caught it, surprised. Io must have noticed Sano's look because she pursed her lips and demanded, "Well, you didn't expect a _lady_ to carry her own bags, did you?" She turned around and went inside, clearly expecting Mizuki and Sano to follow her.

'_So Io-san must've known about Mizuki being a girl,'_ Sano noted with interest.

Mizuki gave Sano a guilty look behind Io's back. "S-sorry…I can take that…" She made a weak attempt to grab the bag from Sano's hands.

Sano ignored her and walked inside behind Io. Mizuki cringed and quickly trailed behind him.

The resort was different from the last time Mizuki had seen it. Because it was during the off-season, the resort was closed to lodgers. The previously bustling resort was devoid of all patrons. The chairs were stacked and piled on top of the tables, and the corners of the windows were spotted with cobwebs. Mizuki absentmindedly ran a finger across the mantle and discovered that her finger had accumulated a gray layer of dust. She rubbed the dust off her fingers and sneezed.

"I'm afraid things are a bit of a mess here. I decided to renovate some of the rooms before summer started," Io apologized. "Still, I aired out one of the rooms for you to use."

"Just one?" Mizuki asked, startled.

Io smiled apologetically. "It was the only room that I finished renovating. Don't worry, the bed is quite spacious," she reassured them. "I think you'll both find it _very_ enjoyable," she added mischievously.

Far from being comforted, Mizuki began to feel more nervous. She had never had to share a bed with Sano before! Granted, they shared a room together, but that was _different_! She glanced at Sano and tried to gauge his reaction. So far, Sano seemed as deadpan as usual. Mizuki sighed in frustration, unable to figure out what Sano was thinking.

"Let me show you to your room," Io urged. "It's just up the stairs here. Careful not to touch the walls – the paint's still wet in certain areas," she advised.

Before they could proceed upstairs, the phone rang in the office. "That might be Nanba senpai," Sano said. Io left Sano and Mizuki in the lobby and went to answer the phone.

Sano and Mizuki could hear Io's voice from the other room. "Minami?" Io answered, which was shortly followed by a shrill, "Is that any way to speak to your mother?!" Mizuki suppressed a giggle.

A few moments later, Io reappeared in the lobby with the remnants of a scowl on her face. "That worthless son of mine would like me to inform you that your parents, Mizuki, were contacted by the school." She placed an arm gently on Mizuki's shoulder. "They're on a flight to Japan right now."

Mizuki froze. "My parents… oh no!" she wailed. She clutched Sano's arm frantically. "What am I going to do? My parents don't know that I'm at an all-boy's school!"

Sano grimaced. "Io-san. Does that mean we should head back to school?" he asked. Mizuki seemed as if she would start hyperventilating at any minute. He took hold of her hand and squeezed tightly.

Io sighed. "I'm not sure. That probably seems like a good idea." She turned around to look at the window behind her. "It's getting late, though. Maybe it would be better to stay the night? You can leave tomorrow morning."

Sano didn't relish the thought of driving another few hours back to school, so he was glad when Io suggested they leave the next day. "That sounds great. Thank you," he said politely.

"Let's head upstairs," Sano suggested to Mizuki, who was still clutching his hand. He gently pried his hand away and put an arm around Mizuki's shoulders. _'So small,'_ he marveled to himself yet again at Mizuki's slight frame. "The sooner we get some rest, the sooner we can head back to school and deal with what's going on."

"It'll be okay," Sano added, sounding far less confident even to his own ears.

But Mizuki looked up and stared at him directly in the eyes. "I know," she answered. "I trust you."

And just like that, Sano's resolve hardened. _'I'll make everything okay,'_ he thought to himself determinedly.

* * *

**A/N**: Again, no promises on when the next chapter will be posted. At this rate, it might not be for another few years? ...Bah.

* * *


End file.
